


Stranger Session

by AdriDavis934



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28269942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdriDavis934/pseuds/AdriDavis934
Summary: Hermione's muggle cousin is a photographer and is doing a steamy stranger shoot. She begs Hermione to help her. Finally, Hermione agrees. When she gets there, the man she is doing the shoot with is none other than Draco Malfoy. How did he meet her cousin? Why is he doing photoshoots with muggles? Can she really do this, or should she disappoint her cousin?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Charlie Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Stranger Session

Chapter 1  
"Hermione, please. I'm begging you! I've never asked you for anything. Just come be a model for me. I promise, you won't regret it."

Hermione shook her head, laughing. Her cousin, a small time photographer, had been going on and on about doing a "stranger shoot." She put out a call and received some interest, but one guy really caught her eye. Ever since, she'd been harassing, trying to convince Hermione to be her female model.

"Olive, please! I don't want to." Her words said no, but the playfulness in her voice suggested she actually might. She picked up her cup and sipped some tea.

"Girl. This guy is GORGEOUS! Like, he's supermodel pretty. And he's got a great personality. You'll thank me!"

"For what? It's just a photoshoot. I won't be marrying the guy, right?" She put the cup back down on its saucer.

Olive gave her a side smile.

"You never know how these stranger shoots will do. He loves books. He made top marks at school. He's kind. He's funny."

"He sounds nice."

"His favorite author is Shakspeare."

Hermione's mouth gaped. She bit her lip, then clicked her tongue.

"Alright fine. I'll do it."

Olive's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"Nope. I'm good. Thank you! I love you! You are the best cousin ever!"

"You know that's right. You know how much I hate having my picture taken."

Olive gave her a small smile.

"I know. But I figured you could use a pick-me-up since you and that bloke split. What was his name? Something with an R, right?"

"Yeah," she said, looking down at her hands, which she brushed against her legs. "Ron."

"Right. Fucking pig."

"Olive. That's not nice. Plus, I'm still friends with his family."

"Don't see why. No one took your side."

"Well, he is the family member, right?" She smiled at Olive. "It's fine, okay?"

Olive shook her head.

"Fine, whatever. Okay, I have a photoshoot, so I have to run. I will see you tomorrow at 7pm?"

Hermione nodded. They stood, and Hermione walked Olive to the door of her flat. She waved and watched as Olive went down the staircase. When she was gone, Hermione shut the door and went to her home office that doubled as a library. She picked up the book she was reading. Okay, fine. Rereading. She sat on the sofa by the window and got lost in the plot.

When the last of the light fell from the sky, Hermione set the book down. She got up and walked into the kitchen to make some dinner. She thought of the times she used to eat dinner with her friends. She felt that absence, especially in quiet nights home, where she would be attacked by an onslaught of memories. They danced, right out of her grasp. Pictures of her and two boys, with red and black hair, dressed in school uniforms, with smiles that melted like snow. She closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing, but still, there they were, tapping the tips of her fingers, a cruel fate. To be so close, and yet, so very far away.

It wasn't the break up that drove the distance between the "Golden Trio." It wasn't their sudden fame and notoriety. I mean, not really. You could say it was a cause, but Hermione knew deep down that the facade would be broken soon enough. While she had loved "The Chosen One" and "The Best Friend", she knew that their friendship had always felt like an elephant dancing on the tip of a pin. One wrong sway, and everything would come crashing down.

It. did.

Hermione could feel them drifting off, further and further. As Ron became power hungry and mean, and as Harry retreated, Hermione could feel them at their breaking point. It was when Ron was caught publicly cheating on Hermione that the final shift made them tumble. And while Harry sided with her, he never stood against Ron. She understood that. To some degree. The brotherhood between the two had always been like that, and Hermione was no fool. She knew how important Ron was to Harry, but as much as she understood it, she also couldn't condone it. She gave Harry an ultimatum. Him or her. He made his decision. Now, in the quiet of the evening, as the sky caught fire from the fading sun, she could feel the loss of her best friends.

She shook her head, as though it would clear away any remnant thoughts. It didn't . What turned her attention was an owl pecking at her window. She opened it up, letting the owl fly in and land on her outstretched arm. She untied the note and gave the owl a treat. It hopped onto the counter, awaiting a reply. She opened the scroll to find George Weasley's scrawl written across the parchment. He had taken her side in the awful fight that followed her and Ron's breakup. She smiled at the note, asking her to meet him and Bill for drinks at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well," she said to herself. "I'm not doing anything else right now." So she placed the chicken and veggies she'd cooked up into a container and into the fridge. She'd have it for lunch or something. She gathered her bag and a hoodie, and used the floo to get to the Leaky Cauldron. She stumbled out of the fireplace, caught by a pair of hands.

She looked up into the slate eyes of Draco Malfoy. His eyes narrowed. She stood up right. She bit her lip, looking away from his piercing stare.

"After all this time, you can't land out of the floo properly? You excel at everything. Why can't you stand like a normal functioning human?"

Hermione felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. She felt like he was being playful, but with his tone of voice, she wasn't sure.

"Sorry to have touched you, Malfoy. And for the record, I'm also shit at flying."

She turned and walked off, but not before she caught his lips moving into a small smirk. The heat radiated from her cheeks. She was sure everyone around them could tell she was flustered. She shook it off and looked around for George and Bill. She finally caught sight of them in the back at a table. Another redhead sat with them. Charlie. She blushed. Charlie was stupid hot. Just like all the Weasley brothers, but he had a certain something about him. She pushed that thought away. He was in a relationship and all of Ron's brothers were off limits in her book.

As she neared the table, the boys stood up to greet her. She gave each a hug, ignoring the speed change when Charlie wrapped his thick arms around her and squeezed, pulling her close to him.

"Hey, I didn't know you'd be here? How are you?"

"I'm well. Actually, just came to tell the boys the good news?"

Hermione took her seat. The boys followed suit.

"Yeah. I'm newly single!" He laughed, raising his shot of firewhiskey.

She scrunched her nose up.

"That's worth celebrating?"

"Sure is. Caught the bitch cheating. Good riddance. Cheaters are good for nothing pieces of…"

Bill elbowed him.

Charlie punched him in the shoulder.

"What?"

George rolled his eyes.

"Sorry about that, Hermione. Charlie is as dumb as he is pretty."

Charlie chucked a fork at him.

George ducked in time.

"Boys," said Hermione, her stern voice pulling George out of the antics he got caught up in.

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Hermione said. "Anyway, so we're celebrating?"

"Right we are."

George went on to explain his newest product, a sort of muggle whoopee cushion, but instead of passing gas, it screamed when you put pressure on it. Only the person sitting on it could hear the screams. Hermione smiled at him as he talked logistics with Bill and Charlie. Hermione's gaze was pulled sideways, when a flash of pale blonde came closer and closer in her peripheral. She looked up when he was standing right beside her. George immediately stopped talking and the Weasley boys looked at her, and then at him. Malfoy.

"Need help with something, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's face was completely unreadable. Hermione knew he was an accomplished occlumens, so she knew that there was no point in trying to read him. Ever the enigma. In school, he was a typical bully, but once he was away from his father's influence, he… changed. Or, perhaps, became the person he always wanted to be, but never could. His eyes didn't leave her as he spoke.

"I was hoping to have a word with Granger."

She could feel the boys bulk up, sitting straighter. Charlie flexed his muscles that seemed to be bigger than Malfoy's head. Draco rolled his eyes at the display.

"I know, I know. If I so much as say anything slightly insulting, you'll take my head off. Calm down, Mr. Macho."

Charlie rolled his hands into fists. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, which seemed to relax him. He looked at her, leaning forward slightly to whisper something in her ear. She blushed and nodded. Hermione looked back up at Malfoy and stood.

"I'll be right back," she said to the redheads.

Draco offered her his arm, which she took. He escorted her into a far corner of the bar, away from the chaos and the Weasley boys.

"Nice guard dogs you have there."

Hermione smiled.

"They mean well," she said. "After Ron…" she felt him tense up, "well, I'm sure they felt they owed it to me. They couldn't protect me from their own brother. After helping George cope with losing Fred, he's been protective of me. The others feel the same."

Draco nodded.

"I was disappointed to hear about Fred."

They sat in silence for a minute, Hermione searching his face, looking for anything that would explain why they were having this conversation. Bringing up Fred also brought up intense feelings of the war.

"So, I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you to talk to me."

She smiled.

"It crossed my mind."

He took a deep breath.

"I wanted to say thank you. Without your testimony, I'm sure I would have been chucked into Azkaban. I owe you a debt. You didn't have to help… I wouldn't have blamed you."

Hermione looked at him, a bright smile filling her face. Her eyes sparkled.

"Draco, you saved my life. How could I have done anything differently?"

He looked down at her, his gaze, piercing. His brow was furrowed, a dark shadow taking over his face.

"I didn't save you, Hermione. You were tortured. I stood by and watched as you were… My lunatic of an aunt, sadistic and evil. I knew what she was. I knew what would happen as soon as I saw you. I should have done more. For that, for that scar," he grabbed her arm where the word mudblood was forever carved, "I'm so sorry."

She gave him a small, sad smile. She understood what it felt like to stand by and watch as someone got hurt, unable to help. She'd felt that way many times with Harry. She'd done nothing about the abuse he suffered with the Dursleys. She'd done nothing when he was slicing his skin open for Umbridge. There were so many moments where she wished she could go back and save more people. Help more people. She thought of Teddy, an orphan, and it killed her to think, maybe, just maybe, she could have saved his parents. Or Sirius. Their deaths weighed heavily on her. She went over the incidents in her mind, again and again, trying to find something she did that could have changed everything. But she knew, deep down, she did what she could at that time, and with what she had.

"Draco, I know it's hard to look at those events and say, what if I had done this or that. But know this: you were given no choice. Don't interrupt me. You were given no choice. You were living with those lunatics. You couldn't have done anything other than buy us time, which is what you did. And when Bellatrix… when she was cursing me, don't think I didn't feel that slight protection. I know you're an occlumens. You know I am as well, so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that I could feel the barriers you were trying to erect around the pain centers of my brain, and I appreciate the effort."

She looked back at the boys, who made their way to the front, where they could see her, eyeing them intently. She turned her head back to Draco.

"You are a far better person than you've ever pretended to be. It's not too late to change your life, and live as authentically as you can."

He said nothing as she walked away, he just stared at her with a mix of frustration, confusion, and longing.


End file.
